Onboarding Rural Area Mathematics and Physical Science Scholars

农村地区数学和物理科学学者的入职

• 批准号: 2322614
• 负责人: Amy Chambers
• 金额: $ 245.97万
• 依托单位: Tennessee Technological University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2029-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2322614&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Onboarding; Rural; Area; Mathematics; Physical

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Tennessee Technological University, a comprehensive institution drawing students from the rural Upper Cumberland region. Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to 45 full-time undergraduate students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, mathematics, or physics. First-year students will receive four years of scholarship support. In addition, the project aims to promote student entrance, retention, and success in STEM majors and careers by providing early, targeted, and continuing academic support to Scholars. Supports include early academic support through first-year math classes, multi-layered mentoring, regular cohort-building, undergraduate research, and career-based projects. Supports will occur throughout the Scholars’ tenure, starting with redesigned first-year math courses, as success in these courses is a major factor in retaining students in STEM. This project has potential to broaden participation of students from groups that have been underrepresented in STEM fields, including low-income and rural students, and to inform how planned activities aid in the retention and graduation of more STEM majors from this student population. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion for low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need from economically distressed rural communities. The specific aims of the project are: 1) Promote student entrance, retention, and success in STEM majors through comprehensive financial support; 2) Provide a strong launch of first-year Scholars through early, targeted, and continuing academic and co- curricular support; 3) Establish a sense of belonging among Scholars through cohort-building and mentoring; and 4) Encourage career preparation by facilitating leadership opportunities and real-world client-based projects. Critical thinking skills, self-efficacy, and perceptions of mathematics will be investigated to assess the impact of an early support framework that includes a summer bridge program, re-envisioned first-year math experiences, on-going mentorship, and co-curricular activities. Additionally, recruitment and retention will be assessed through comparison of applicants relative to recruitment efforts, math course success rates, retention in STEM majors, graduation rates, and job placement relative to peers. Annual project evaluation will be conducted using an iterative process of formative and summative assessments. Results will be compiled and shared with the broader community through conference presentations and publications. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目将有助于对受过良好教育的科学家，数学家，工程师和技术人员的国家需要，通过支持高成就，低收入学生的保留和毕业，证明在田纳西理工大学，一个综合性的机构，吸引学生从农村上坎伯兰地区的经济需要。该项目为期6年，将为45名攻读生物学、化学、地球科学、数学或物理学学士学位的全日制本科生提供奖学金。一年级学生将获得四年的奖学金支持。此外，该项目旨在通过为学者提供早期，有针对性和持续的学术支持，促进学生入学，保留和STEM专业和职业的成功。支持包括通过第一年的数学课程，多层次的指导，定期队列建设，本科研究和基于职业的项目早期学术支持。支持将发生在整个学者的任期内，从重新设计的第一年数学课程开始，因为这些课程的成功是留住STEM学生的主要因素。该项目有可能扩大在STEM领域代表性不足的学生群体的参与，包括低收入和农村学生，并告知计划的活动如何帮助更多STEM专业的学生保留和毕业。该项目的总体目标是提高低收入，高成就的本科生的STEM学位完成率，这些本科生来自经济贫困的农村社区。该项目的具体目标是：1）通过全面的财政支持，促进学生在STEM专业的入学，保留和成功; 2）通过早期，有针对性和持续的学术和课外支持，为一年级学者提供强有力的启动; 3）通过队列建设和指导，在学者之间建立归属感;和4）通过促进领导机会和现实世界的客户为基础的项目，鼓励职业准备。批判性思维能力，自我效能和数学的看法将进行调查，以评估早期支持框架，其中包括一个夏桥计划，重新设想的第一年的数学经验，正在进行的导师，和课外活动的影响。此外，招聘和保留将通过比较申请人相对于招聘工作，数学课程成功率，保留在STEM专业，毕业率和就业安置相对于同龄人进行评估。年度项目评价将采用形成性和总结性评估的迭代过程进行。 成果将通过会议介绍和出版物汇编并与更广泛的社区分享。该项目由NSF的科学，技术，工程和数学奖学金计划资助，该计划旨在增加低收入学术人才的数量，这些学生表现出经济需求，并获得STEM领域的学位。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并产生关于低收入学生的学术成功，保留，转移，毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。